Citation and License

Diagnostic Pathology 2006, 1:24
doi:10.1186/1746-1596-1-24

Published: 30 August 2006

Abstract

Background

Coats' disease is a non-hereditary ocular disease, with no systemic manifestation,
first described by Coats in 1908. It occurs more commonly in children and has a clear
male predominance. Most patients present clinically with unilateral decreased vision,
strabismus or leukocoria. The most important differential diagnosis is unilateral
retinoblastoma, which occurs in the same age group and has some overlapping clinical
manifestations.

Case presentation

A 4 year-old girl presented with a blind and painful right eye. Ocular examination
revealed neovascular glaucoma, cataract and posterior synechiae. Although viewing
of the fundus was impossible, computed tomography disclosed total exsudative retinal
detachment in the affected eye. The eye was enucleated and subsequent histopathological
evaluation confirmed the diagnosis of Coats' disease.

Conclusion

General pathologists usually do not have the opportunity to receive and study specimens
from patients with Coats' disease. Coats' disease is one of the most important differential
diagnoses of retinoblastoma. Therefore, It is crucial for the pathologist to be familiar
with the histopathological features of the former, and distinguish it from the latter.